Former India batter Mohammed Kaif insists India captain Shubman Gill must look at the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka as the first step towards moving closer to reaching the 2025-2027 World Test Championship (WTC) final. India lost 0-2 against South Africa in this WTC cycle in November 2025 and are currently ranked fifth.

Kaif, 45, reckoned skipper Gill must stamp his authority on the Sri Lanka series and use it to turn around the fortunes of his team. “Shubman should be thinking about turning things around as India can still qualify for the WTC final. It’s not easy, but if we start winning matches consistently, we can make a comeback from here as well. So, let’s take it match by match. Let’s win here [in SL] and take this form ahead,” Kaif, a member of the Sony Sports Network commentary panel, told mid-day in an interview on Wednesday.